Chapter 175: Tiny Sisters, Tiny Fangs

Chapter 175: Chapter 175: Tiny Sisters, Tiny Fangs

By the next morning, Ironwood smelled of smoke, blood, herbs and wet earth.

Most of the dead had already been carried away.

The broken shelters remained.

Cracked floors remained.

Dark stains remained.

But the screaming had stopped.

And inside Swanly’s shelter, for the first time in what felt like an entire lifetime, everything was quiet.

Almost.

"MAMAAAA!"

Swanly’s eyes flew open.

Tiny feet thundered toward her.

Kael barely had time to turn before three black-haired boys exploded through the entrance.

Tilla appeared behind them.

"I told you to walk!"

Nobody listened.

"Mama!"

"Mama!"

"MAMA!"

Swanly sat up too quickly.

Pain immediately shot through her lower body.

"Ow, fuck."

Kael caught her shoulder.

"Slowly."

Then three cubs reached the bedding.

All three stopped themselves at the last second.

Swanly had taught them not to jump on her stomach during pregnancy.

Apparently the lesson had survived the birth.

Kairo grabbed her arm instead.

"Mama! We fought monsters!"

Nilo pressed himself against her side.

Miko climbed directly onto Kael because Swanly was apparently temporarily unavailable for climbing.

"I MISSED YOU!"

Swanly’s heart cracked open.

"Oh, my babies."

She reached for all three.

Kairo immediately puffed his chest.

"I was very brave."

Miko gasped.

"You?"

Kairo frowned.

"Yes, me."

"I was more brave."

"You were stuck in the ceiling!"

"I got unstuck!"

"You cut the emergency rope!"

"And saved everybody!"

Nilo quietly wrapped both arms around Swanly’s waist.

Carefully.

Very carefully.

He did not join the argument.

He simply buried his face against her side.

Swanly noticed immediately.

Her hand slid into his black hair.

"Nilo?"

His voice came muffled.

"I thought you died."

Everything inside her stopped.

The other boys went quiet too.

Swanly’s expression softened.

"Oh, baby."

Nilo hugged her tighter.

"I heard you screaming."

His golden eyes were wet when he finally looked up.

"And everybody outside was screaming too."

Swanly stroked his cheek.

"But I’m here."

He nodded.

Then touched her arm.

Her shoulder.

Her face.

Almost checking.

"You’re really okay?"

"I’m really okay."

His little body finally relaxed.

Kairo’s brave face cracked next.

He moved closer.

"I knew you were okay."

Miko immediately exposed him.

"No, you cried."

Kairo spun.

"You cried first!"

"You cried ugly!"

"You cried louder!"

"I was worried!"

"So was I!"

Swanly laughed.

Then immediately winced.

"Do not make Mama laugh. Everything hurts."

Three faces became horrified.

Kairo grabbed Miko’s mouth.

"No jokes."

Miko ripped his hand away.

"I was not joking!"

"You are always joking."

"No, sometimes I am serious."

"Like when?"

Miko paused.

He clearly could not think of an example.

Swanly smiled.

Her boys.

Her ridiculous, filthy, growing boys.

Their speech had changed so much.

Only months ago, Miko would have climbed onto her shouting broken little words.

Now he had entire arguments.

Entire opinions.

Entire criminal defenses.

They were growing too fast.

Kairo straightened again.

"Mama, I protected everybody."

Nilo looked at him.

"Mora protected everybody."

"I helped."

"You stood in front of me."

"That is helping!"

Nilo considered.

Then nodded.

"You did."

Kairo’s face lit up.

Swanly held out her hand.

"Come here, eldest guard."

He immediately crawled closer.

She kissed his forehead.

Kairo tried to remain dignified.

His tail betrayed him.

It flicked happily behind him.

"You were brave."

He smiled.

"But bravery does not mean doing stupid things."

His smile weakened.

Miko suddenly became interested in the wall.

Swanly’s eyes narrowed.

"Miko."

He looked innocent.

"Yes, Mama?"

"Tilla told me what you did."

His entire face brightened.

"She did?!"

"Yes."

"I killed the monster."

"Yes."

"I used the rope."

"Yes."

"I kicked its face."

Kairo muttered:

"You barely touched its nose."

Miko ignored him.

"And I saved everybody!"

He spread both arms.

"Because I am very brave."

Swanly stared.

Miko waited for praise.

None came.

His smile slowly disappeared.

"Mama?"

"You could have died."

His ears dropped.

"But..."

"You were hanging from the ceiling during an attack."

"I was stuck."

"You cut yourself loose."

"To save them."

"And swung directly toward that thing!"

Miko’s tail curled around his leg.

Swanly’s voice softened, but only slightly.

"What if you missed?"

He looked down.

"What if that thing caught you?"

Silence.

"What if the rope broke?"

His lip trembled.

Swanly touched his cheek.

"I am so proud that you wanted to protect everyone."

Miko looked up quickly.

"But I am not proud that you risked your life like that."

His eyes became shiny.

Swanly’s heart immediately betrayed her.

Damn motherhood.

She pulled him closer.

"You are allowed to be scared."

Miko sniffed.

"I was scared."

"I know."

"Very scared."

"I know."

His arms wrapped around her neck.

"But everybody was below."

Swanly closed her eyes.

There it was.

Her stupid, reckless little baby had genuinely been trying to save them.

She kissed his hair.

"Next time, try to save everybody without nearly killing Mama from a distance."

Miko nodded against her.

"Okay."

Kairo looked suspicious.

"You always say okay."

Miko lifted his head.

"This time I mean it."

Nilo quietly said:

"You said that last time."

Miko glared.

"Why does everybody remember everything?"

Kael turned away, shoulders shaking.

Swanly pointed.

"Do not laugh."

"I am not."

"You are."

"I am relieved."

That took some of the humor out of her face.

Swanly looked at him.

Kael had barely slept.

She could see it.

Blood still stained the bandage across his side.

A fresh claw wound disappeared beneath the wrapping at his shoulder.

He had nearly lost her yesterday.

She reached for his hand.

Kael took hers immediately.

Kairo noticed his bandage.

"Papa got hurt."

Kael shrugged.

"It is nothing."

Kairo’s golden eyes narrowed.

"Mama says people who say that are annoying."

Swanly slowly looked at Kael.

Kael stared at his eldest son.

Traitor.

Nilo nodded seriously.

"She does."

Miko added:

"She says Papa is stupid when hurt."

"I did not say stupid."

Kael raised one eyebrow.

Swanly paused.

"...recently."

Tilla burst out laughing.

For a few breaths, the room became warm again.

Normal.

Then Miko suddenly frowned.

Something had made a sound.

Tiny.

Soft.

A little squeak from beside the bedding.

His black ears lifted.

"What was that?"

Swanly froze.

Kael looked toward the two little wrapped bundles beside her.

The cubs followed his gaze.

Silence.

Kairo blinked.

Nilo slowly straightened.

Miko turned his head.

Very.

Very.

Slowly.

Two tiny faces were visible among the soft hides.

The triplets stared.

Their sisters.

They had been so busy screaming for Mama that none of them had noticed them.

Miko’s mouth dropped open.

Kairo whispered:

"They’re..."

Nilo’s eyes became enormous.

"Tiny."

Swanly smiled.

"Very tiny."

All three moved closer.

Immediately.

Kael put out one arm.

"Slowly."

They slowed.

Barely.

Kairo approached first.

His entire brave-guard personality vanished.

He crouched beside the bedding and stared.

One newborn girl wriggled.

Her tiny pale tail shifted beneath the hide.

Kairo gasped.

"She has a tail."

Miko stared at him.

"We have tails."

"Not like that."

Nilo crouched beside him.

One baby opened her eyes.

Silver.

Soft.

Barely focused.

Nilo stopped breathing.

"She looked at me."

"She cannot see properly yet," Swanly said.

Nilo ignored that completely.

"She knows me."

Of course.

Miko tried to squeeze between them.

"I want to see!"

Kairo pushed him back.

"Gentle!"

"I am gentle!"

Every adult looked at him.

Miko scowled.

"I can be gentle."

He crawled forward on his knees.

Slowly.

Painfully slowly.

His face hovered over one newborn.

She yawned.

Miko gasped so loudly the baby startled.

Kael grabbed the back of his tunic.

"Quiet."

Miko whispered:

"Sorry."

The baby’s tiny mouth opened again.

Miko stared at the microscopic little fangs beginning to show at the gumline.

His eyes widened.

"She has teeth!"

"Tiny fangs," Swanly corrected.

Kairo looked fascinated.

"Can they bite?"

Soren’s voice came from the entrance.

"Yes."

Everyone turned.

He stood there, freshly bandaged, looking exhausted and terrifying even while staring at his daughters with ridiculous softness.

Swanly smiled.

"You could have mentioned that earlier."

"They are snake young."

"That does not answer how venomous they are."

Soren paused.

That pause was suspicious.

Swanly narrowed her eyes.

"Soren."

Before he could answer, Miko stretched one careful finger toward his sister.

"Hello, baby."

The little girl turned.

Tiny mouth opened.

Chomp.

Miko froze.

Everyone froze.

His golden eyes slowly widened.

A tiny set of snake fangs was buried in his finger.

Soren’s face changed.

"Miko."

Miko looked at Swanly.

Then at Soren.

Then at the baby attached to him.

"Mama..."

His voice became very small.

"She bite me."